Revenge: A Maximum Ride Novel
by Lil Q
Summary: Max is taken by Mr. Chu, she is tortured and cannot fight back because of fear that Mr. Chu has her flock. In the meantime Fang is getting depressed about Max being gone. Fighting as hard as they can, Max, Fang, and the flock, struggle to be re-united.
1. Prolougue

Prologue:

"Here is your paper sir." The man at the newspaper stand said.

He grunted in response, handing him the bills.

Billionaire Pollutes Ocean with Toxic Chemicals!

He read the headline over and over again, furious. He didn't need to read the article; he knew what it would say. This was something that could not be tolerated, his life was ruined. But fortunately he could ruin lives too.

He would ruin all six of their lives- One worse than all of them; he would kill her, which would kill the rest.

He did something that he hadn't done in a long time, Mr. Chu smiled.


	2. Chapter one and two

Chapter one:

As you may know I absolutely hate gushy emotions. So a wedding? Not really my thing. I looked over to the malamute bride. Yes I was at a wedding for a dog. Two dogs actually, one of which could talk. Right now I wanted to fly away, up in the sky with no limits.

I looked over to Angel who was by Akila, the bride. She gave me the thumbs up. Oh God. Now I was walking down the aisle wearing a skirt.

Yup you heard it here first folks I, Maximum Ride was wearing a skirt. I absolutely refused to wear a poufy dress. But I was forced to wear this blue knee length skirt with a white halter top.

You may ask how anyone or anything could possibly force me to do anything. It wasn't Angel's mind control, I can tell you that. I caved to Bambi eyes. I know. But it wasn't just any Bambi eyes it was both Nudge and Angel's not to mention the puppy dog eyes from the groom, Total.

Ugh I could see Fang trying to hold in his laughter, watching Gazzy whisper something to Iggy and with them both tearing up trying not to laugh. Note to self: smack Fang and Iggy both in the head after this, glare at the Gasman.

I got to the end of the aisle where Total with a bow tie looked EXTREMELY nervous. I scratched behind his ears and he looked a little better. Then came Angel walking beside Akila, who was wearing a veil.

I won't bore you with the rest of the details of this wedding, but let's just say it ended with Fang and Iggy rubbing their heads, Angel and Nudge crying waving to the happy couple, Gazzy sitting with my mom and my sister, Ella, and me in jeans and a t-shirt waving. Oh almost forgot to mention, and then a bunch of M-Geeks came down for a fight, but they looked stronger than the last batch.

Chapter two:

"MAX!" Angel screamed. She was being brave but some of the new-and-improved M-geeks were ganging up on her. Now I was mad.

"Battle up!" I yelled running to Angel.

"Mom! Ella! Get out of here!" I screamed to them taking down the M-geeks by Angel. It had only been about a month since we got my mom back and she wasn't completely healed yet.

Once Mom and Ella were out of the way, safe I yelled "Up and away guys!"

Immediately the flock shot up in the air, but these M-geeks could _fly_. Crap.

Soon everyone was fighting in the air. Gazzy smashed his small fist into one M-geeks face, making its head snap off. Hm. These M-geeks aren't nearly indestructible enough. I thought as I scissor-kicked one's head off. I saw Nudge attract the metal in an M-geek with her hand. It completely fell apart. Iggy threw a bomb at a bunch of them hovering by. Talk about cloudy with a chance of M-geek showers.

Oof! But they certainly were stronger than the last ones I thought as it punched my stomach. Big mistake.

I saw Angel and Gazzy working together doing two-handed punches that made an M-geek fall apart which probably really hurt their hands. I was so proud of them sometimes.

Nudge kept taking them apart with her magnetic skill.

_Fang. _ Said the voice.

I took out the M-geek I was fighting and whirled around to see Fang battling three M-geeks at once. What he didn't see was the one hovering behind him pulling out a gun.

"FANG!" I screamed but it was too late. The bullet was already speeding towards him and he couldn't turn around to see it let alone get out fast enough. He was doomed.


	3. Chapter 3&4

Chapter 3:

Just as I realized that Fang was about to die something weird happened. Weirder than the regular weird. It looked like Fang was surrounded by a glass ball. I'm not even joking. What was even weirder was that it repelled anything that came within five inches of it. It surrounded Fang completely, like a bubble around him. All the M-geeks around him were literally blown out of the sky.

One of those bubbles appeared around each of us. It reminded me of when I was in a snot bubble a mutant fish had made around me. Except less gross and more indestructible looking. After this all the M-geeks scattered away.

We all looked at Fang, our jaws dropping.

"New skill?" I asked.

Fang looked confused. Or as confused as Fang could look, which isn't a whole lot. "It wasn't me." He said. All of our eyes widened.

"Huh?" I said "Than who did it?"

All eyes turned to Angel. "Nope. Not me." She said in a sweet little voice.

"Well, who was it?!" they all shrugged. I glanced over at Fang; he sent me a look that meant he was thinking the same things as me. If none of us did it than who had this power? Were they with us or against us?

"WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!" Iggy. "One minute we're fighting and the next all sound is gone and then the M-geeks are gone! What's up with that?!"

We landed and Nudge described it to Iggy, she would give the most detail, honestly she should have her own talk show, only she would never shut up to ask anyone anything.

"Max are we gonna have something to eat now, I'm starving?" said my little Angel.

"Yeah, come on sweetie let's go inside." I said taking her hand and heading into our latest safe house in Arizona.

Chapter four:

"AWWWWW GAZZY!" all of us yelled. If you hadn't guessed it already, he just had one of his little occurrences, like EW.

The Gasman shrugged, not embarrassed at all, and continued eating. The rest of us got up, and dumped our plates into the sink.

After all the kids were tucked in, Fang and I hit the sky. We ended up in a big oak tree where we could still see the house.

"Nice to be alone again, huh?" Fang asked

"Yeah, I guess. So what do you think those things were today?" I asked.

Fang leaned back and shrugged "Don't know. Whatever they are, they sure helped."

"Yeah, but they could be a threat, I mean someone could capture us with those things and-"

_Don't over-think good things, Max._ Said the voice

_Oh thank-you voice, that's helpful. _I thought sarcastically. _It's not like my paranoia has gotten us out of many situations, no it's just something that gets in our way, does not help us at all-_

"Max? Max?" I just realized that Fang was saying my name, with his arm over my shoulder looking at me.

"Sorry. The voice." I said.

I heard him mutter something like "Why can't it mind its own business?" But I wasn't sure.

"Anyways, I think we need to move again tomorrow, since those new M-geeks know where we are. Now it looks like Mr. Chu is back and wants revenge-

"Max." Fang said, looking annoyed.

"Hm?" I said

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Ignoring us."

"Oh. Sorry, I'm just worried about Mr. Chu and what he's going to do next and-"

Fang groaned. "You can be very annoying sometimes, you know?"

I was about to glare at him, but he took my hand, leaned down and kissed me, and all my thought left my brain. He lifted me onto his branch, and I don't know how this happened but we ended up with his back against the trunk, holding me close to him, his hands under my wings, and me in his lap, my arms around his neck, us making out.

_I should stop making Fang do all the work with this relationship. _I thought.

_Don't over-think good things Max. _Finally the voice had something worthwhile to say.

I let myself drift into mindlessness, holding Fang.


	4. Chapters 510

Chapter five:

Mr. Chu rubbed his hands together in anticipation. His plan has been running smoothly, though there was almost a hitch, one of his M-geeks had almost killed one of the bird kids, but his plan involved them being very much alive.

He had made his M-geeks stronger to keep the flock busy for longer than they would with the weaker M-geeks. But he also made them breakable, so the flock would win.

While the flock was busy fighting the M-geeks one of his officers went into the house and found where the flock's next safe house would be. All of the rooms were under surveillance.

Mr. Chu had a private grin, when he remembered where he put the bomb.

Chapter six:

Well we were on our way to our next safe house. Were we flying? No. And you can guess how I feel about that.

Any ways, so now we were being driven so our next safe house in Ohio. OHIO. WE WERE IN FREAKING ARIZONA! NOW WE ARE_ DRIVING _TO OHIO.

These next several hours will probably drive me insane. Just FYI.

I looked over next to me; Fang looked a lot better than he did in the car. We are now flying because I could not stand another freaking minute in that enclosed space. Fang and I were both unbelievably twitchy in that car now we could relax; now I could feel the wind through my feathers and the warm sun on my back.

Fang felt my eyes on him and gave me a quick half smile and looked away.

"All right guys we're here!" I shouted and we all landed.

We headed into the house and into our rooms, which had already been chosen through pictures of the house.

_Now Max we need to start thinking about your next steps _voice was back.

_I need some air. _I thought

"I'm going for a fly." I told Fang as I was walking down the hall.

"Here I'll go with you."

"Actually I need some time alone."

Of course this is Fang so it didn't hurt his feelings,

He just nodded.

I took off. I love the feeling of soaring through the sky, almost like you don't have a care in the world. Then you are blasted back to reality with an annoying little voice that you can't get rid of.

_Turn around Max_

I turned just in time to see several M-geeks throwing a net over my head.

Not again!

Chapter seven:

Mr. Chu was walking on air. It was time.

Chapter eight:

I was carried to a large conference room with about twenty TVs on the walls, oh joy. Well at least I was conscious.

One of the M-geeks sat me down- still in the net- in one of the chairs and held a gun against my head and told me not to move. Mr. Chu came in.

"Ah Maximum Ride. So good to see you again." He said in a really creepy voice.

"Wish I could say the same Chuey. Not to be rude but aren't you suppose to be in jail for illegally dumping toxic chemicals into the ocean?" I said.

His whole face turned red and he slapped me across the face.

"We really should stop meeting like this." I said although my face hurt like heck.

"You stupid girl, you don't know how much power I have right now." He said. He turned on the twenty TVs one by one. They all showed live views of all the rooms in our current safe house, I almost cried out when one came on with Fang looking worriedly out my bedroom window no-doubt waiting for me. "And now for the best part." Mr. Chu zoomed in on what appeared to be a bomb, in a place where no one would notice it. The top shelf of the cabinet in my bathroom connected to my room. "You make one wrong move and your flock gets blown up." Mr. Chu grinned evilly.

"Alright." I said reluctantly. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to go home like nothing happened; I'll know if you tell anyone about the bomb with these cameras, so stay at your safe house while I tell you to. You will have this Bluetooth in." he handed one of the M-geeks what looked like an ear plug and stuck it in my ear. You couldn't even see it. Crap.

Mr. Chu said "With this I will tell you what to do and you will obey immediately or your whole family goes ka-boom. You understand?" I nodded. "Good. I will have one of my associates escort you home."

Chapter nine:

Fang's POV:

I was seriously started to worry about Max. She had been gone for three hours. I was just about to go look for her when out of nowhere she swooped in and landed gracefully in her room.

"You were gone a long time. Where were you?" I asked

She shrugged. "Swooping around. I was trying to get rid of a headache. Didn't work." She said as she rubbed her temples.

I rubbed her shoulders. Then I noticed on her arms there looked like there were rope burns like she was caught in a net. "What are those from?"

"Do you honestly think I remember where I got all my cuts and scrapes?" She said sarcastically, but something was off about it.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Nothing it's just this headache." I stayed silent, listening. "Well I'm gonna get some sleep, are the kids in bed yet?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Ok well, night."

"Night Max." I said and I leaned down and kissed her forehead, which made her expression look less tense. At least I know it's the real Max. I thought as I left her room.

Max's POV:

That was close. I thought as I fell down on my bed. Why does Fang have to know me so well?

"All right max, I'm leaving for now but I'll be watching you. Any hesitating in answering this Bluetooth will result in you and your family being terminated." I heard the phone click off.

I sighed and fell asleep.

Chapter ten:

I woke up to an annoying vibration in my ear. I bolted up and pressed the talk button.

"Maximum, today you will leave your flock, but you will make sure you say goodbye to them. You will come to my headquarters and I will do with you what I will."

"But if I tell them I'm leaving they will try to stop me." I said shocked, this was low even for him.

"Then leave tonight and leave a note for them, be sure to tell them how you feel, and if you dare write about the bomb I will kill all of you immediately." He chuckled "Be sure to write one for Valencia as well, I wouldn't want to leave her out, she was so nice the last time I saw her in person." He was talking about when he kidnapped her. I was going to kill him. I heard the phone click off.

_Respect your enemies' abilities or they will win, I've told you this before Max._

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, voice. He is still going down. _I thought.

I went downstairs and started putting bread in the toaster, feeling miserable. Iggy came downstairs, yawning followed by a sleepy Gasman, who immediately plunked down in front of the TV.

"Hi Max" Said Gazzy. I went over and ruffled his hair.

"Mornin' Ig, mornin' Gazzy, Ig can you make some-"

"I'll make some eggs when I feel like it." He mumbled.

"I'm glaring at you Ig."

"Fine. I'll do it now." And he started getting ingredients out, knowing where everything is just by feeling around the house for about an hour last night.

All of a sudden a hand was on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Jeez Fang could you be anymore unnoticeable?"

"Maybe." He said and he faded into the background of the kitchen walls.

I rolled my eyes but smiled at the general place he would be.

Then I remembered what I had to do tonight and I felt my smile fade. That was when I realized I was scared.


	5. Chapter 1115

Chapter eleven:

"What's wrong Max?" Fang said coming out of the wall.

"Nothing. I'll go wake up the girls." I said turning to leave but Fang caught my hand.

"Come with me." Fang said and half dragged me out the back door.

"Max. Tell. Me. What. Is. Wrong."

"Fang, there's nothing wrong." I said.

"Max."

I took a deep breath.

Fang's POV:

"Max. Tell. Me. What. Is. Wrong." She was starting to worry me.

"Fang, there's nothing wrong." She said unconvincingly.

"Max."

I watched her take a deep breath.

"Fang, if something happened to me, if I died or got taken, you would take care of the flock right?" What the _h _was she talking about?!

"Of course I would, but that won't happen, I won't let anything happen to you." I said. Her mouth turned up into a half smile. I pulled her into me and rested my cheek on the top of her head and I felt her arms wrap around my waist.

"Thank-you." She whispered. She unwrapped her arms from me, stretched up on her toes, kissed my cheek and went to go wake up the girls.

Chapter twelve:

Today could have been my last day with the flock, and how do I spend it? Watching the kids play in the backyard of our safe house.

Nudge and Angel were playing cards, but Angel looked up at me every now and then and smiled at me.

Iggy and the Gasman were constructing some sort of device and arguing about it and I was sitting with Fang on the deck with an arm around me that I couldn't see because he had faded into the couch.

This could be my last day with the flock and I was spending it being depressed, scared and bored. Now I was singing Liam Rooney songs over and over in my head so Angel wouldn't pick up any thoughts on Mr. Chu.

Fang's POV:

Something was wrong with Max. I didn't know what, but I knew something was wrong.

It probably had something to do with what she said this morning. What did she think she was going to die or be kidnapped by M-geeks since seeing them last?

_Fang, something's wrong with Max. _ Angel thought at me.

_What _is _wrong?_

_I don't know I think she's blocking me. Try talking to her maybe I can find out._

"Max?"

"Hm?" She said.

"Um want to go for a fly?" That was all I could think of.

Panic lit in her eyes and vanished almost as soon as it had come. "No. Let's just sit here for a while."

"Okay."

_Angel? Anything?_

_Well she thought "If I do he-" Then she stopped herself and started singing Liam Rooney songs in her head again._

_That's how she's blocking you? Can't you get past it?_

_Nope, she's focusing _really _hard on the lyrics so that's all she is thinking about. But Fang I _can _tell that she seems really sad or depressed or something. Also-_

"Hey guys let's get something to eat" Max said as she got up. She could probably see me again.

"Look who decided to show his face" Max said to me and grinned. But something was off about it. I would find out what.

Chapter thirteen:

I had just finished writing some of the most painful letters in the world. Now I was sobbing but the letters were under my bed. I heard a tap on the door.

"Come in." I said wiping my eyes.

Fang popped his head in the door. His eyes widened when he saw me. I was in his arms in less than a second and I started sobbing again.

Fang's POV:

I heard what I thought was crying in Max's room. What was up with that? Max couldn't be crying, she was _Max._

I knocked on her door. I heard a hoarse "Come in." And poked my head in the door, and there she was, the most beautiful girl in the world sitting there with silent tears streaming down her face.

I immediately shut the door and sat down next to her, holding her.

Stroking her hair I said "Max what's wrong?"

"Just a really, really bad headache." She whispered and started sobbing into my chest.

I had known Max to have headaches like this before but 1. she was usually on the ground moaning when she had them 2. She hadn't had one in months and 3. I didn't really believe her.

She had stopped crying and I looked down at her. She was looking up at me with the saddest expression I had ever seen. That, combined with the fact that 1. She was the most beautiful girl in the world, 2. Her face was fairly close to mine and 3. Just the fact that she was Max, made me lean down and kiss her.

Max's POV:

Just as Fang's lips touched mine I realized that this was probably the last time I would ever kiss Fang and so I made the most of it.

My fingers twined in his hair and my legs wrapped around his waist, while I kissed him hungrily, I wanted as much of him as I could before I had to leave.

Suddenly Fang pulled me even tighter to him and kissed me with a new passion I had never felt before. That made me remember how much I love him and how I will probably never see him again after tonight. There was something I had to say.

I broke us apart and whispered "I love you Fang."

His eyes widened, then he smiled playfully "How much do you love me Max? This much?" He held his arms out a length apart from each other.

I laughed "No." I pulled his arms farther apart "I love you that much."

He smiled "I love you too, Max"

I hugged him. "Well I gotta get some sleep, Night Fang."

"Night, Max." He got up bent down and gently kissed my lips and left.

I realized that that was probably the last time I would ever see Fang and tears streamed down my face again.

Chapter fourteen:

Angel's POV:

I woke up with the sun shining in my window. That was weird, Max usually woke me up, but I woke up myself this morning. I crept pass Nudge, trying not to wake her up. I held tight to Celeste and remembered how much I miss Total but hoped he was having fun. I bumped into Iggy on the way down the stairs.

"Hey! Watch it Ange!" He said and scooped me up and carried me downstairs the rest of the way.

"Morning Iggy. Where's Max? She usually wakes me up." I said

"Probably still asleep, she was kind of upset last night." Fang answered from the couch. In his head were the images of Max holding onto him, sobbing.

_What was wrong Fang?_ I thought at him.

_She said she had a headache but I think it was something else. But she's fine now Ange._

I saw Nudge come down from the top of the stairs rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"Mornin Nudge!" Gazzy said "Trying to get a jump start on the day I see!"

"Bite me." Nudge mumbled.

We all laughed.

"Gazzy don't bug Nudge before she has had her morning coffee." Max said.

I looked to see where Max was but it was just Gazzy with his impressions.

"Speaking of Max I'm gonna go wake her up." Fang said.

Five minutes later he yelled "GUYS GET UP HERE!!"

We all ran upstairs, Fang only sounds like that in an emergency.

In Max's room Fang was looking over a note with a broken expression, he wordlessly handed it to Nudge.

She read "Guys, I had to leave, I can't tell you why, I can't tell you where, just know that I love you all and look under your pillows. Love Max."

We all wordlessly went to our rooms, under my pillow there was a note that said:

Angel,

Sweetie I had to leave, I can't say where but I can say that I will miss you. Ange, you've always been my little girl, my baby. Now you're growing up to be strong, independent, and with your own will and power. Make your decisions wisely, you have been gifted and blessed with many powers so use them carefully. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, Angel, my baby, in the meantime don't be scared, and listen to Fang. I love you sweet heart. -Max

Tears dripped down my face and fell where the paper had already been stained in Max's tears.

Gazzy's POV

His note read:

Gazzy, I had to leave for a while, and I'll miss you. Gaz, you've always been my little trooper, stuck it out through the tough times and you were always grateful for the good times. Thank-you for that sweetie, I appreciated it. You're going to grow up to be smart, strong and intelligent, and never forget that. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, but in the meantime try not to let too many rip and don't blow up anything that shouldn't be blown up. I love you Gaz. –Max

He started crying, but pulled himself together; he was Max's trooper.

Nudges POV:

Nudge, I had to leave for a while, and I'll miss you. What can I say? You've always been my nudge. When I have been feeling down you pat my back and nudge me to feel better. I love how you do that for me. Nudge, you may be obsessed with fashion, clothes and make-up, but you are still the toughest eleven year old I know. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, but in the meantime try not to let your mouth flap too much or hack any computers that should not be hacked. I love you sweetie. Hang tough. –Max

Nudge started crying and whispered "I love you too Max."

Iggy's POV:

Under my pillow was what felt like a tape recorder. I took it out and pressed play. She sounded like she was crying when she said:

"Iggy, I have to leave for awhile and I'll miss you. I want you to know how thankful I am to have known you Iggy, I mean you're blind, you're lost every time we move and you never complain. You're the Gasman's best friend, and he would be incredibly lonely without you, Iggy you have been my brother and my left hand man for as long as I can remember. Thank-you for that. Fang will be the leader, now that I'm gone. I'll try my best to come back, but in the meantime you'll be his right hand man. Try not to aggravate the Gasman too much. I love you Ig." She let out a sob and the tape was over.

I put the tape recorder away wordlessly.

Fang's POV:

I looked under my pillow; there was a note that said:

Fang, I love you. I love you more than anyone. You've been my whole world for the pass while, and leaving you is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Please understand that there was no other way to keep you and the others safe. I'm so, so, sorry. I love you. I have to tell you, you're the oldest now, you can handle it, I probably won't be able to come back, I'll be fighting every step of the way and if there's any way at all to come back keeping you all safe I'll find it. I love you. You've been my best friend from day one in the dog crate, you've always been my right hand man. You've been more than that since that first kiss on the beach so long ago. I wish I hadn't run away when you kissed me in that cave, we could have had more time together. I love you I love you I love you so, so, much. This is probably goodbye but I will be fighting just to see your face again. I love you. You're leader now Fang, please don't try o find me, I would suggest to go to our house in Colorado, Itex is destroyed, no one knows about it. I love you-Max

I just stared at the note for a long time then I yelled and punched the wall, making white powder all over my hands. I stormed over to Iggy's room and tapped his hand twice and he nodded. I launched myself out of the nearest window and felt miserable by myself.

Chapter fifteen:

Flying right now would feel amazing, soaring through the air at top speed for hours, you actually start to go even faster after awhile. You caught that would huh?

It _would _feel amazing if I didn't feel as if my heart had been ripped out and stomped on by a bunch of rabid elephants.

I had just stopped by my mom's house in Arizona, I let myself in with the key under the eaves I left her and Ella notes.

Right now what I was missing most was Fang's smile; rarely ever seen, and a wonderful sight. A smile I would probably never see again. My world would now be filled with evil grins as they tortured me, which I knew they would. I had just decided my family was more important than my pain.

_Max your family are not the ones who are suppose to save the world you are, save yourself._

_Yup I'll be sure to put that on my list of things to do_ I thought.

My ear buzzed.

"Now Maximum, what state are you in?" Mr. Chu asked, trying to sound like what he was doing was perfectly alright.

"I just left Arizona."

"Fly straight to Mexico city, where you used to do the air shows, I'll meet you there. And if you fail to show up in twenty-four hours your family is dead."

I didn't know if they left yet so I said "Fine. I'll be there."

"See to it. And don't sound so glum; your family will be alright if you do what I tell you." He chuckled.

I swear if he was standing in front of me and did not have my family in danger then absolutely NOTHING could stop me from slugging him.

Fang's POV:

I came back to the safe house feeling just as bad as when I left it. GOD! Why hadn't I guessed it? She knew she was going to leave and even said it. I could have stopped her if I just stayed with her. She said she loved me and left! I felt like hitting something again; get all the frustration out on something. I hit the outside wall and almost instantly my knuckles started swelling. I trudged into the house.

Everyone was sitting in the front room waiting for me. They weren't talking, and they weren't watching TV, they were just sitting there.

"Fang?" Angel. I sat down next to her and she crawled into my lap and started crying. I rubbed her back and stroked her hair, like I did when _she_ was sad. I had never really held Angel when she cried; _she_ always used to do it.

"We're gonna go find her right Fang?" Angel said sniffling.

"She said not to." I wanted to but she said not to.

"But Fang, you're the leader now, not Max, you don't have to do what she says." I flinched at her name.

"I'm _not_ the leader." I said "I'm just in charge until She comes back." I absolutely refused to believe that I would never see her again. "But until then we have to figure out what we're going to do in the meantime. There's always a plan." There was hardly ever a plan but I had to pretend there was one, _she_ taught that to me. I suddenly knew what to do. "Pack up guys, we're leaving."


	6. Chapter 1620

Chapter sixteen:

Max's POV:

I was sitting in the back of a van, tied up, somewhere in Mexico City. I couldn't even fight back; for fear that my flock would be terminated because of it. I was now a bunch of M-geek's personal punching bag. So far I had a black eye, a couple of broken ribs, and I just woke up from being hit in the head. But this was my decision, I had to deal.

_Now what's happened to the Maximum Ride I know? She wouldn't be moping right now, she would be making up a plan to get out._

_That Max left on that last concussion. _I thought dejectedly. I wanted death so much right now.

_Remember those force fields that surrounded you before? How they came out of nowhere and helped? What were you thinking then?_

I was so startled by the voice bringing that up I couldn't think for a minute. I hadn't thought about those things in- days. Was it only a couple days ago that I was sitting in a tree with Fang, worrying about those things?

_What were you thinking when the force fields first showed up, Max? Before the first one that surrounded Fang?_

I thought about it. _I was thinking about how Fang was going to die and somehow I needed to stop it?_

_Exactly._

_Well so what? _Of course it didn't answer, that would be too easy.

I was all alone, except with a bunch of robots beating me up, and with an annoying voice in my head rambling on about pointless things. I needed to break these ropes, now. And that's when it happened.

Chapter seventeen:

Fang's POV:

We're in the sky, just outside of Ohio.

"Where are we going, Fang?" Nudge asked. She was still pretty upset about _her _leaving. We all were.

"Arizona." I answered. They all immediately knew why we were going there.

"She's probably not there, Fang." Iggy said quietly zooming up closer to me.

I looked over at him. "It's all I have to go on." I didn't even know _why _she would leave. She couldn't have been taken, she left us all notes, we know it was her because Iggy has a voice recording, and Nudge can feel her vibe in the papers. Then I remembered something. "In my letter she said that leaving was the only way to keep us safe, maybe she was becoming dangerous somehow?"

"Fang?" said Angel.

"Yeah?"

"Max was _really_ scared the day before she left. I couldn't tell what it was except that I knew it was _someone, _some guy."

My jaw almost dropped. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked frustrated.

"I tried but Max cut me off, she spoke to me and I have to focus to send thoughts to someone."

I vaguely remembered Angel sending thoughts to me and it being cut off, but why couldn't she have told me after?!

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking about it." Said Angel, reading my thoughts.

"It's not your fault Angel, I'm just frustrated." That was the most I had ever admitted to anyone but _her_.

"Fang, can we find someplace to land?" Gazzy said. He had not spoken a word since we found the notes and I could tell he was almost at his breaking point. I nodded and adjusted my wings towards the mountains. I'm not great at this whole parenting thing with the younger kids, but _she _was amazing at it. She was like their mom. In a sense she _was _their mom, not biologically, but she looked after them, she held them when they cried, she made sure they were relatively healthy, and she well... _mothered _them.

I sighed when we landed in the cave, nothing would be the same without her. Life would be a lot harder and a lot less happy.

After we ate and the kids were asleep, I was taking watch. There was nothing to think about except her. I was going to pay for it later with depression, but it was worth it. I sighed and re-played all my best memories of _her._

Chapter eighteen:

Max's POV:

The force fields came from _me_. I knew because one just came around me and broke my ropes. I stayed put. I was going to wait twenty-four hours so I knew for sure that the flock had left the safe house and then I could break out and see them again. I could see Fang. My heart swelled with hope. I squashed it. Optimism is over-rated. The voice had told me that.

I thought I heard it chuckle.

I wanted to know what I could do with this power. I tried again. It didn't work. I realized I had only some of the big picture of this power, I knew it came from me, but I didn't know how to use it.

I was depressed. I missed the flock, I missed my mom, and I missed Fang. Tears welled up in my eyes. I sat there brokenly for a long time.

Eventually the door of the van opened and one of the M-geeks pushed me out. I didn't care. I was already hurt beyond imagining. Nothing could be worse than how I was feeling now.

Fang's POV:

I was depressed. I was tired and frustrated. I could see Dr. Martinez and Ella sobbing over a note. She had been here. If I had been a little faster I could have got her. At least I was on the right track, but I didn't know what to do next. What would_ she _do?

I sighed. "Come on guys there's nothing to see here."

"What are we gonna do next Fang?" asked Nudge.

Then it hit me, she already _gave _me a plan. "We're going to Colorado." I said and launched myself into the sky, seeing them come up one by one.

Chapter nineteen:

Max's POV:

"So Maximum I hope your journey was pleasant." Mr. Chu said coming in the room looking smugly at my injuries.

"It was probably better than what my stay will be like here." I said but my heart wasn't really in it anymore.

"Hm. You're probably right." He said and he waved me away.

The two M-geeks next to me put me in a cell that had a sort of shelf for a bed. I've had worse. I wrapped myself in my wings and cried myself to sleep.

Fang's POV:

We were in a cave near Colorado, because the kids couldn't fly any more. We would get there tomorrow. I figured I'd get some shut eye.

I dreamed. I dreamt that Max was in a jail cell crying I was in this cave but I could see her. I kept trying to go to her but I couldn't move. Finally I called out to her and she noticed me. She smiled a somewhat broken smile and said "Take care of them, Fang; it's not as hard as it seems. Go with the flow. I miss you. I love you."

And then I woke up.

Max's POV:

I dreamed. I dreamt I was in the jail cell crying. I heard footsteps but they never got any closer and then I heard "Max!" It was Fang, and that was when I knew it was a dream. He was standing in what looked like a cave near Colorado. I decided to give dream Fang some advice.

"Take care of them, Fang; it's not as hard as it seems. Go with the flow. I miss you. I love you."

He reached out to me and then he faded away. And I woke up.

Chapter twenty:

Fang's POV:

I didn't get it, the dream I had last night seemed so real, it was like something _she _would say. She was in a jail cell. Why the heck would I dream that?! Unless, it was a new power that we could communicate through our dreams... UGH! I sounded so desperate!

_I can't talk to her until she comes back, which she _will. I thought._ Get that through you're thick skull!_

"Fang?"

"What?!" I all but snarled at the Gasman.

He looked taken aback "Oh um, never mind its okay." He said and went to sit on the cave floor.

I took a deep breath, I wasn't good at stuff like this. I sat down next to the Gasman.

"Sorry, Gaz, you just caught me at a bad time. Now what did you want?" I asked quietly.

"Max is gonna come back, right? She wouldn't just desert us, right?" He asked sounding very-much like an eight-year-old, which I sometimes forgot he was.

How to answer this? "I'm sure she'll do the best she can. There's a reason she left, she would never desert us." _That_ much I knew. "Why?" I was curious as to why the Gasman would ever think that she wouldn't come back, to them she was _invincible_. I was the only one who had seen the other side.

"Cause in the letter that she gave me it said how she knew that I would I would grow up to be smart and strong, but it was almost if she thought that she wouldn't be there to see me do it." A single tear dropped out of Gazzy's eye and he wiped it away quickly.

"It's ok Gaz, she'll be back." I said, and not knowing what else to do I went to look out the front of the cave. God, I wished she was there.

Max's POV:

Mr. Chu walked in my cell. "Your punishment is about to begin." He said, he looked like a little kid on Christmas morning.

After my emo weep fest on how there's no hope for me yada yada, I came back to my senses. I was Maximum Ride. No one had ever beaten me. Some may have won the odd battle, but I always won the war.

"Punishment for what?!" I snarled. "Punishment for saving my innocent mother? Punishment for destroying some M-geeks who were going to kill me?" Now he was mad. "Punishment for-"

"Punishment for ruining my life!" He shouted at me. He held up a newspaper with the headline:

Billionaire Pollutes Ocean with Toxic Chemicals!

"Punishment for exposing a madman who was going to destroy the world?" I said in a quiet deadly tone.

He tried to slap me across the face but missed because I turned my head, and he stumbled forward. I almost cracked up. He looked meaningfully at one of the M-geeks and it punched me in the stomach, _hard_. I ignored the pain.

"What's the matter Chuey? Have to get your cronies to do your dirty work for you?" I gazed at him sardonically.

"Take her away." He said sneeringly. Let the torture begin.


	7. Chapter 21 to 26

Chapter twenty-one:

Fang's POV:

We were almost there. I could see it now, I wondered if it was the same as we left it months ago. The white E on its side looking over the mountains.

All the kids smiled their first smile in days. The only thing that could make me happy right now was if _she _was waiting for us in there. I missed her so much. We landed right in front of it. I opened the front door. It was just like we left it all those months ago.

I wasn't smiling. Neither were the kids. _She _was in this house. Not right now but all our memories of her were.

I walked down the hallway into the room the Gasman, Iggy and I shared. Jeb's old office. The kitchen. The living room with the ancient TV. The girl's room. I don't know why but something made me go into _her _old room. It didn't hurt that bad.

What was left in this room was from a recently turned fourteen-year-old tomboy who wore combat boots, had a strange interest in Mickey Mouse, and had a six-lock closet that a blind guy could break into. This room belonged to someone who had been closed off to most of the world and sometimes even her family. This room represented to the girl I used to know who used to be jus my friend and sister. That's when it started to hurt.

I thought about how this girl changed in to the girl I now know, the girl I now love. This girl was faced with things that changed her. She would have her little girl be taken away, learn what it would be like to live a normal life and have it be taken away. She would be in fights to the death, locked in dungeons, tortured. She would be put up against odds stacked against her and always prevail, she would do all this and have to look after five other people and a dog. That changes a person.

Now she was a little less closed, a little more mature, a little bit tougher, and a little stronger. She was by no means girly but less of a tomboy. She was smarter, too. She cared about things more, she cared about me more, and she loved me. Or I thought she did. That was when the pain really got bad and I left the room of a girl that I would one day love.

Max's POV:

Another kick, another punch, another hit, another slap. The rhythm was consistent and painful. I had been knocked out several times only to wake up in my cell and have half an hour to recuperate. Then it's back to the same painful rhythm.

My wrists were chained together and I was hanging from the ceiling. My ankles were shackled together and chained to the floor. I didn't regret choosing the flocks lives over all this pain.

I was getting used to the rhythm now I could almost ignore the pain. Another kick, another punch, another hit, another slap. And then everything went black.

Chapter twenty-two:

Max's POV:

My first day of "punishment" as Mr. Chu called it was over.

It had been more than twenty-four hours, I knew the flock had gotten out by now.

I had two swollen eyes, a black and blue face, several broken ribs that I had just had to set, and a broken arm. My face would be better tomorrow and my bones better in a day or two. Now that I was completely conscious and not delirious from pain I was so, so mad. My good hand was clenching and un-clenching and my blood was boiling. Let's just say that if it was a rabid tiger versus me right now, I would win, no weapons needed.

_You need to focus on getting out before anything, Max._

_Voice? The flock got out of the safe house right?_

Of course it didn't answer.

I already knew how I was going to get out. I would take down anyone who tried to stop me.

_It's not that easy, Max. It's never that easy._

I knew that already. I would get out. Hopefully.

I sighed and went to sleep.

Fang's POV:

I was sitting on the roof of our house in Colorado, looking up at the stars. I remember how me and her would do this all the time when we used to live here. We would laugh, and joke, and make fun of each other; we were best friends.

I heard someone walk up. "You okay, Man?" said Iggy, sitting next to me.

"Yeah." I said. It was a lie.

"We all miss her."

"I know."

"You want to talk about it?"

I decided to talk about _some_ of it "I just don't understand what could possibly make her leave without her being kidnapped; she obviously left on her own."

"You've got to stop dwelling on her. Wait until she comes back."

I stayed silent.

"She's not coming back is she? She would tell you out of all of us."

"She said she would try her best, that she'd be fighting to come back but it wasn't likely. But fighting _what _is what I don't get."

"But then what do we do if she doesn't come back? Just live without her? No offense Fang but she's the leader, not you, although it was a good idea to come back here."

"She told me to come back here; in her note."

Iggy gulped. "Did she say why she may not come back?"

I didn't say anything.

I could tell Iggy knew. "If the- unthinkable happens- what do we tell the kids?"

"Ig, I kind of need to be alone, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, sure." And he left.

The unthinkable would _not _happen I would make sure of it. I sighed and fell asleep on the roof, like I had so many times before.

Chapter twenty-three:

Fang's POV:

I dreamed. I dreamt that I was standing on the roof of the house looking out but instead of the view of the mountains there was the same jail cell with her in it as last night.

But she looked different. The girl I saw last night was a bit scratched and bruised, but this one was- well she was in bad shape. Almost her whole face was purple and bloody. Her arms and legs were bruised and her left arm appeared broken. Her ribs were jutting out awkwardly- swollen- they must have been broken. Her wrists and ankles had metal burns; they must have been in shackles. I had no idea why I would dream this unless it really was _her_. I didn't even get to try to talk to her because I woke up.

Max's POV:

I dreamed. I dreamt that I was in the cell in a crumpled heap, trying to gain my strength. The pain was worse in the dream; I couldn't ignore it. My breath came in sharp hisses. My arm hurt and my wrists and ankles hurt from the shackles. My ribs hurt. My face hurt. UGH nothing had ever hurt as bad as this; no one had ever gotten lucky enough fighting me to get all these injuries in.

I opened my eyes in slits. In the spot where my usual lovely view from my cell was gone and in its place was the roof of the old house in Colorado. Standing there, looking worried was Fang. I wanted to say something to him but I was in too much pain. He disappeared. I woke up.

Mr. Chu would pay.

Chapter twenty-four:

Fang's POV:

These dreams were seriously starting to freak me out. What if that really was _her_? What if she really was in trouble? I couldn't even imagine her that bad before; no one was ever fast enough in fights to hurt her that bad. I remembered how she looked; crumpled up on the floor, purple faced, ribs jutting out, in so much pain. What if that really was her now?

"Fang?" It was Nudge.

I glanced at her.

"Are you gonna come in?" I was still on the roof. "Iggy made breakfast; we set the table and everything. Are you too sad about Max? I miss her too. I miss how she used to comfort me when I was sad. Now that she's gone which makes me sad, so she can't comfort me but if she was here to comfort me I wouldn't be sad in the first place. Is there a name for that? Redundant, right? That's a weird word-"

"Nudge!" I had had just about enough of the Nudge channel. "I'll be inside in a minute."

She nodded and left.

One more night, I would see if it really was a dream.

Max's POV:

"Well Maximum, it is day two of your punishment. How do you feel?"

"Oh I feel fine. I don't mind being beat up at all. The broken bones don't even hurt a bit. Oh and my face? It looks worse than it actually is." I said sarcastically. "They are probably nothing compared to how you're gonna kill me!"

"I won't kill you. I need you to be alive so you can be punished. What good is it to punish a dead person? Your mother knew this." He smiled.

I lunged for him, but the M-geeks held strong. "Take her to her next punishment." Mr. Chu said.

It turned out my next punishment was being strapped to a lead chair. I almost laughed when they brought the TV out.

"Oooh are you gonna make me watch cheesy sitcoms till I die of the main character's over-acting?" The problem with M-geeks is that they don't get sarcasm. One of them turned the TV on. Mr. Chu appeared on the screen.

"Maximum I hope you enjoy this little home video I created."

I showed the safe house in Ohio. I watched while Fang walked upstairs into my room.

"Max? You do realize that even Nudge got up before you right?" He said, joking.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched him walk up to the bed and pick up my first note addressed to the flock.

He opened the letter and a vision of pain and outrage on his face.

"GUYS GET UP HERE!" He shouted, the way he only does when something is _really _wrong. I guess me leaving counted.

The video cut to the flock sitting casually, Gazzy and Angel in front of the TV, Iggy in the kitchen, and Nudge on the couch rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Their eyes looked alarmed when they heard Fang. They ran upstairs. It cut to Fang.

He watched with a very un-Fang-like broken expression as the flock came in. He wordlessly handed Nudge the note.

I watched horror-struck as Nudge read "Guys, I had to leave, I can't tell you why, I can't tell you where, just know that I love you all and look under your pillows. Love Max."

Tears were falling freely now seeing all the pain I had caused them.

First showed Angel. She read it silently and tears dripped on the paper where mine had already stained it. Gazzy was second. He looked like he was going to fall apart but he gathered himself up, put the note on the desk and left the room. My little trooper. Next it was Nudge. She cried silently while reading, and after whispered "I love you too, Max."

I was practically sobbing by now. Iggy. He pulled out the tape recorder I had put under his pillow and listened silently. He put it away and left the room.

Fang's reaction was the worst. He read the note silently, shaking his head ever so slightly. He read it again and again. Finally he dropped the note on the bed. He walked over to the wall, made a frustrated yell and punched the wall, making drywall spew everywhere. He was a mess. This was the first time I was ever scared of Fang. He looked, like a broken version of himself. I wasn't really scared _of _Fang, I was more scared I made him like that.

I was sobbing, _hard. _I had made him like that. I had done what all the whitecoats, erasers, M-geeks, and flyboys had failed at. I had broken Fang.

I watched him walk to Iggy's room and tap his hand twice and launch himself out of a window.

It cut to the next day with Angel in Fang's lap sobbing. Nudge was crying silently. Iggy and Gaz were stone-faced. Fang was still broken. For some reason it cut to the exterior of the house. It was far away so I couldn't see them in the windows. That was when the house blew up.

To my horror they played the whole thing again, and again, and again.

Chapter twenty-five:

Fang's POV:

Being a leader isn't easy.

I was probably just thinking that because she wasn't here. Right now it was actually not that hard, I mean it would have been easier not being leader, but here at home, it was pretty easy. The kids did their own thing, Gaz found some old video game thing that he had to leave here, and now he was taking it apart and seeing what kind of explosives he could make with it. Angel was getting re-acquainted with all her stuffed animals, as she put it. Iggy was listening to music. Nudge was watching TV. And me? I was sulking on the roof, and practicing my flying from time to time. It was pretty much like life used to be after Jeb first left. Except now we knew what really happened to Jeb, we had more experience, we destroyed the school, oh, and she was gone, and I was acting emo wishing she were here.

Max's POV:

He had gone too far. Much too far.

Beating me up was bad enough. Making me have so much pain was horrible. Blackmailing me is another thing. Taking me away from my friends? Threatening to kill them? Horrible, horrible. Shall we look back to kidnapping my mother? She was completely innocent!

But this had crossed the line.

He had killed the flock. He had done the unimaginable. He had made me watch it again and again. He would pay.

I was surprised that I wasn't even crying. I was stone-faced. The flock was dead. They barely even had a chance to live. Angel. Gazzy. Nudge. Iggy. _Him. _I couldn't even think his name. It was now forbidden in my mind.

My anger made anyone or anything that was ever furious seem like they were in the best of moods. I would get revenge. And I would meet the flock where ever they were.


	8. Chapter 27 to 31

Chapter twenty-six:

Fang's POV:

I dreamed. I dreamt the dream of her again. This time I was on the couch, where I had fallen asleep. She was different than she was last night. Her face looked a little better, and her ribs weren't as huge. The burns on her wrist were much worse. But something in her eyes hinted immeasurable pain.

"Fang, you know what annoys me?" she said completely casually.

I glanced at her.

"Myself. I'm torturing myself you know. That glance you just did? It's something you would do in real life. I know you're dead and my subconscious keeps making me see you." Tears welled up in her eyes as she said this.

I walked over to her and held her hand through the bars. For some reason I just let her do the talking. "I guess as long as your here I can tell you what he's been doing to me. Mr. Chu took me to one of his buildings in Mexico City. Well so far I have been beaten; that was yesterday, and I was knocked out several times. Today I was forced to watch a tape of you and the flock dying. He made me watch it again and again." Her tears flowed freely now. "I saw you broken. I broke you Fang. I'm just as bad as anyone we've ever fought. I'm worse." That didn't make sense. Why would I dream that?

"But I am planning on killing Mr. Chu like he killed you. Then I'll meet you wherever you are." She said sounding almost content. I was looking at her with horror in my eyes, If this really was her, she thought I was dead and she was going to kill herself soon.

"Hmm it looks like it's time to go. I love you." That was when I knew it was her.

"Max! Don't!" I said but it was too late. I woke up.

Max's POV:

I dreamed. I dreamt about him again. This time he was in the living room of our house in the mountains. It looked exactly the same as when we left it. Well it _should. _I thought. I am dreaming about it. He was sitting on the couch, looking at me. It hurt to see him when I knew he was dead.

"Fang, you know what annoys me?" I said completely casually to him.

He glanced at me exactly the way he used to when he wanted me to continue.

"Myself. I'm torturing myself you know. That glance you just did? It's something you would do in real life. I know you're dead and my subconscious keeps making me see you." Tears welled up in my eyes because I knew it was only my subconscious making me see him.

He walked over to me and held my hand through the bars. It felt as rough and calloused as ever. He didn't say anything. "I guess as long as your here I can tell you what he's been doing to me." It couldn't hurt, at least I could vent my feelings. "Mr. Chu took me to one of his buildings in Mexico City. Well so far I have been beaten; that was yesterday, and I was knocked out several times. Today I was forced to watch a tape of you and the flock dying. He made me watch it again and again." I felt my tears flowed freely down my face. "I saw you broken. I broke you Fang. I'm just as bad as anyone we've ever fought. I'm worse." I was sobbing now.

"But I am planning on killing Mr. Chu like he killed you." I was sure of this. "Then I'll meet you wherever you are." Even though it was killing myself, I smiled at the thought of seeing the flock again.

I looked around, the dream world we were in was starting to fade. "Hmm it looks like it's time to go. I love you." Even though he was a dream, I meant it.

"Max! Do-" I heard him shout, but I woke up.

Chapter twenty-seven:

Fang's POV:

I was a mess. Part of me was just relieved to know that she was alive and didn't desert us. Part of me was still flying with the knowledge that she really did love me. But the main parts, over-powering the others were, outraged, sad, worried, and scared.

I was outraged that Mr. Chu had done something like that to her. I was sad that she had to go through so much pain for us. I was worried that she may actually kill Mr. Chu; that just isn't _her._ I was scared that we may not make it in time.

"GUYS!" I shouted. "WAKE UP!"

Nudge's POV:

I woke up with a start to Fang's yelling.

We were all pretty messed up from Max leaving. Really messed up. Max didn't just _lead _the flock, she _was _the flock. Without her it just wasn't the same. But Fang had gotten it the worst. We all knew that Max and Fang were together, we didn't mind. We all knew it was bound to happen sometime. Fang didn't just love Max as a sister or mother like the rest of us did. He was _in _love with her.

He practically _punched _through a wall after he read his note. When I asked Angel why she said it was because Max said she loved him. Sure he already knew she loved him, but that was the first time she _said _it, and then she left.

"GET OUT HERE!" he shouted.

We all rushed out of our rooms and into the living room, where he was waiting.

"I developed a new skill." He said.

I knew what we were all thinking. Why had he waken us up over a new skill? Why was it worth yelling us out of bed?

"Well what is it?" Iggy said, sounding annoyed.

"I can talk to Max when I'm asleep." He had finally snapped. It wasn't his fault, I mean he had just lost the girl he was in love with, but still. Now Iggy would be leader, and I didn't think he was really cut out for it.

"No, he's telling the truth." Angel said, speaking for the first time since we got here. "He really did talk to Max." She walked over to him and held his hand.

All our eyes widened. Angel would know, she had seen it in his mind.

"Well? What did she say?" Gazzy asked.

"She's in Mexico. She's being tortured by Mr. Chu. She thinks we were killed by Mr. Chu, and she's planning on killing him." He gulped. _Fang _gulped "Then she's planning on killing herself."

Max's POV:

I was right. Having that dream made me even more depressed in the morning. It also raised the flames of my rage. They were getting closer and closer to Mr. Chu.

"The next stage of your punishment is today, Maximum." An M-geek said coming into my cell. I was immediately up, scissor-kicking it so hard that it broke in half.

Five M-geeks instantly rushed in the cell. I would have beaten them too, if one hadn't pulled out a gun and shot me in the leg. There was a lot of pain, and a surprising amount of blood. The M-geeks brought me to a white room with an antiseptic smell. They cleaned up my wound, bandaged it and took me to the room where they first tortured me, And they hung me by my wrists to the ceiling, and shackled my legs to the floor. The pain in my leg was spectacularly potent. I just didn't care about that kind of thing anymore

"Well, I hope you have learned your lesson about what happens when you fight back, Maximum." Mr. Chu said, coming into the room.

"It leads to pain. Pain isn't a factor in life once you have your purpose taken away." I said my face set in stone.

"Oh? I thought your purpose was to save the world." He said like he knew everything.

"My purpose has always been to keep my family safe. I have always done what it takes to make sure they stay alive." He grinned.

"Time for your third punishment." He said evilly.

Chapter twenty-eight:

Gazzy's POV:

We all stared at Fang. We all knew he had been taking this really hard. He didn't look the same. After he said this he looked like he was about to break down. I'm only eight. But I knew Fang was acting this because Max was part of him now. Without Max, Fang wasn't Fang. I was willing to bet all my favourite bombs that it was the same with Max.

Fang straightened. Cold determination flared in his eyes. "We're going to get her. Pack up."

Fang's POV:

We were in the sky, already halfway to Mexico. I could tell the kids were tiring, but we couldn't stop or we may not make it in time.

"Fang?" I had been hearing that phrase a lot lately.

"Yeah?"

"I know you want to get to Max as fast as possible." Iggy said so only I could hear. "But you know the kids can't take much more of this. They just won't say it because they're afraid of what you'll say."

I glanced at him.

When he heard my pause he said "Come on Fang, you know you've been really touchy with the whole Max thing. The kids have noticed."

I sighed.

"If we don't take a break, the kids won't be able to fight when we get there. They could get hurt or killed." I immediately knew why _she _got so annoyed when I reasoned with her.

"Guys!" Four heads turned to face me "I see some caves up ahead. We're there for two hours at most, capiche?"

They all nodded. We dropped into a cave and the kids ate he food in their packs and went to sleep. I couldn't sleep, not with knowing how close she was. I sighed and sat down near the cave entrance.

Max's POV:

The burns didn't hurt. Well they probably _did _hurt but I couldn't feel physical pain anymore. What hurt was what Mr. Chu was saying.

"When you killed your brother you were happy weren't you?" he said. "You got a thrill over killing him! You liked killing your brother! Say it!" He was holding a long metal rod with a red hot end, which he had burned me with twice already.

"I won't." I said in a death tone.

He pushed the hot metal onto my stomach. Seeing no response he pushed it to my arm and took it away.

He grinned. "You broke Fang." I almost gasped. "I know about these things. He was the one flock member who has never broken down. Whatever person you were up against none shattered his calm. But you did. You're worse than any villain. Say it." I almost broke, this time what he said was true. I was worse. But I couldn't let him win this battle. Or I would lose the war. I held my head up indignantly. Burns on my sides this time.

"When you saw my video and watched the flock die you were relieved. You wanted the flock to die. When the bomb exploded, their last thoughts were 'Max did this'." He smiled. His mistake.

Chapter twenty-nine:

Max's POV:

I was so enraged, I figured it out. I broke the shackles and cuffs off my wrists and ankles with force fields.

My shot leg didn't even bother me as I landed on my feet. Mr. Chu looked like he was looking at the scariest thing in the world. At that moment I wouldn't be surprised if I was.

I ripped the metal rod out of his hands by the hot part, not caring about my burnt hands. I slugged him. _Hard. _An M-geek took its gun out and shot but my force field popped up, deflecting it. The hitch in the force fields? They shine, really brightly. Everyone in Mexico could probably see it.

I made a force field around me and Mr. Chu, large enough to squish all the M-geeks against the walls like bugs on a windshield. Yes it was as gross as it sounds. But I only realized that after. Right then I was thinking about the most painful ways to kill Mr. Chu.

I broke his nose. I slugged him in the gut. I punched and kicked him until he was on the ground, rolling in pain, begging for mercy.

"I could give you whatever you want!" He gasped.

"I've heard that line before." I said. I sounded like I was from The Twilight Zone.

I was about to break his neck when the voice popped up.

_Max don't. If you do this you'll be just as bad as him._

_I'm just giving him a taste of his own medicine. _I thought.

_Max, you know that's not the only thing here. You're getting revenge._

_Yeah, so?_

_Do the right thing, Max._

Ugh. That was when I knew I couldn't kill Mr. Chu. I would be as bad as him. With this sanity, I also knew I couldn't kill myself. What about my mom? I still had people on this earth that cared about me. I would still save the world and live my life. Though I knew the pain never really would go away. Just as I accepted this, Mr. Chu stabbed me in the stomach. I fell to the ground.

Sanity also brings pain. It hurt so much. My force field flickered off. And I saw him. I saw all of them.

Fang's POV:

It had been two hours. Two hours of her pain. We were flying now.

We reached Mexico City. "There's the stadium!" I yelled.

"Would she be in there?" Nudge asked.

"No she's in a Chu Corporation building."

We knew where it was. It was the biggest skyscraper in the city. All of a sudden a bright light shone out of one of the top windows. I had seen it once before. The force fields a week or two ago.

I guess it was _her _skill and she didn't know it then.

"Looks like we found her." I said.

"Huh?" Iggy.

I sighed. "Nudge?" and I flew faster.

We landed on the roof, silently. I lead us through a vent, and we followed the light. I saw her through a window. There were about twenty M-geeks squashed because of the force field. I was running.

She was really bad. Half of her face looked raw from burns. Her leg had a huge bloodstain on it. She was cut, burned, bruised, and had what appeared to be a couple broken bones. She looked like she should be on the ground moaning in pain. But her expression was savage. I had never seen her so mad. Through all of this she still managed to be beautiful.

She was slugging Mr. Chu, hitting, slapping, and kicking. It wasn't her usual fighting, that had a sort of grace to it, but a monstrous rage kind of fighting. I had made it to the door and the others weren't far behind. The force field. I couldn't get through. I tried ramming against it and I was propelled into the wall. I tried again. Iggy stopped me.

"THAT WON'T HELP HER!" He yelled at me. All I could do was watch.

She was about to break his neck, it looked like. He was on the ground with her leaning over him her hand poised to chop him. Then she stopped.

Her eyes unfocused. She stared off into space. I knew the voice was talking to her. Her face went from complete rage, to frustration, and then to bitter acceptance.

I watched in horror as Mr. Chu pulled out a dagger and plunged it into her stomach.

Chapter thirty:

Fang's POV:

I watched her fall to the ground. The force field flickered out. She turned and saw me, and her face lit up. I ran. I punched Mr. Chu so hard he was out cold.

"Max." I whispered. I knelt down and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you."

Her breath was ragged. "I know." She said. A choked laugh came from me.

She stared off into space for a minute, and then smiled at all of us.

Max's head was in Nudge's lap, and the rest of us were around her, me the closest, holding her hand.

A force field went up around us, enough room to stand and walk.

"Ange, I don't know how long this will hold up, and if it goes away, keep everyone out of this room. If Mr. Chu wakes up make him forget and make him walk out of the room." The right leader was back. There was a lot of blood.

"Why did you leave, Max?" Said Gazzy.

"You guys have always been my world." She said, and ruffled his hair, which looked like it took a lot of effort. "It's my job to save the world now isn't it?"

She looked at each of us. "I missed you guys." She looked at me. "Wait here for at least twenty-four hours, I love you all." And then I watched Max die.

Max's POV:

I knew I was about to die but I couldn't help smiling. I knew when I got into this that I would probably die without seeing the flock again. So dying with them there? Not such a bad option. But that was probably the gaping stomach wound talking.

I saw Fang run. He smashed his fist into Mr. Chu's face, knocking him out cold.

He knelt down next to me. I loved seeing his face after I thought he was dead. "Max." He whispered. His voice was like a soft autumn breeze. He kissed me gently on the lips. It felt amazing. "I love you." He said. He couldn't have picked a better three words.

I drew in a hard breath. "I know." I whispered. He choked out a laugh.

_Max, you're not supposed to die today. Make a force field and go inside yourself, you'll know when to come out._

I smiled; I was going to be ok.

I put up a force field around us.

"Ange, I don't know how long this will hold up, and if it goes away, keep everyone out of this room. If Mr. Chu wakes up make him forget and make him walk out of the room." Wow I felt a lot of blood around me.

"Why did you leave, Max?" Said Gazzy.

"You guys have always been my world." I said, and ruffled his hair, which took a lot of effort. "It's my job to save the world now isn't it?"

I looked at all of them. "I missed you guys." I looked at Fang. "Wait here for at least twenty-four hours, I love you all." Everything went black.

Chapter thirty-one:

Fang's POV:

I couldn't believe it. She was dead. If I had gotten there faster, if I had stopped her from leaving in the first place, She would be alive right now.

Her pulse was gone. She had no heartbeat. She wasn't breathing.

Her head was still in Nudge's lap, who was sobbing. Angel was crying, too, while burying her head in _her _chest. Gazzy was holding her belt loop, silent tears streaming out of his eyes. Iggy was sitting cross-legged by her feet, his tears dripping too. I was holding her hand, which was fairly seriously burnt.

I studied the planes of her face. She was still beautiful, though cut, bruised, burnt, and dead. I had loved this girl. She was an amazing person. She had suffered all through her short life. She had to grow up too fast; she had to take care of Nudge when she was about five, help her learn to speak through the crate. She did the same with the Gasman. And then came Angel. Jeb had broken Angel out of the nursery when he broke us out and _she _was the one to take care of her. She had to be a leader when she was twelve, still a kid. She had o take care of her whole flock, while being hunted down, tortured, and not knowing when she was going to die. She was strong and tough and beautiful. She had loved me. She had died trying to protect us.

"No, Max." I whispered.

I did something that had never happened before in my life. I let a tear escape my eye. It landed on her face. Then something happened.

Fang's POV:

She started to glow. _Glow. _Her whole body started to shine with a golden light. A force field that looked like the top of a table went under her body. It lifted her up, to the roof of the room. She was shimmering now. Angel jumped up and looked like it was the happiest moment of her life.

"She's alive!" She shouted gleefully. "I can hear her mind!"

I was overwhelmed; she was just dead! Now she was alive?! I wasn't complaining.

The glow left her body and all the force fields in the room vanished. She was falling.

Max landed directly in my arms; her face looked like it never even had a scratch. The most deep, beautiful brown eyes opened and met mine. "Nice catch." Max said almost smugly. She reached up and kissed me.

Max's POV:

I reached up and kissed him lightly. "Miss me?" I whispered. I couldn't help it- I burst into tears. It had been so much pain, so much torture, I had practically died. I had known it would be like that. I had chosen my family's lives over my own. I had thought they had died anyways. To have them all back with me, I felt so many emotions.

I buried my face in Fang's chest, and we were on the ground, and the rest of the flock was around us, touching me somehow. Angel was on my lap, my free arm was around Gazzy, Nudge was leaning against me. Iggy was by my feet. We were all crying-even Fang.

Fang was crying, not a lot, but there were a few tears in his eyes. That was when I knew he had missed me as much as I had missed him. His face was buried in my hair.

"Now are we gonna sit here all day crying like a bunch of weenies or what?" Fang said.

I laughed. "Care to let me go?" I asked Fang. He flashed a half smile and carefully, as though I were made of porcelain, unwrapped his arms from me.

"Now, how about we get out of here?" I said to the flock. "I've been dying- I mean I want to stretch my wings."

I walked over and grabbed Fang's hand and we took a running start, kicked out a window and fell through. We separated hands and I dropped a bit faster than Fang and we unfurled our wings. Much better. I watched with pure happiness as the rest of my family dropped out of the building one by one.

End


	9. EPILOGUE

Epilogue:

Max's POV:

I was sitting with Fang on a beach near Arizona. It had been a few days since we had left Mexico. My mom and my sister were ecstatic to see me, to know I was okay.

"So what did Mr. Chu do to make you leave, Max?" Fang asked. I sighed. I knew this question would come up sometime.

"He captured me when I was flying. You know when we first got to Ohio and I needed some air? The burns on my arms were from a net. He had the whole house under surveillance. Every room. There was a bomb in my room. He gave me a Bluetooth, and told me what to do, with it. If I didn't do what he said he would blow up the house, with you guys in it. He told me to leave. I asked if I could say goodbye, I knew I would never see you guys again. I wanted some last words." A tear dripped down my face. Fang wiped it away.

In a second we were in each other's arms, kissing. All the frustration, anger, and pain we had gone through was let out, and I realized that my life was such a ride. It had its ups and downs, and it would always be the ultimate and powerful Maximum Ride.


End file.
